· Michael Blair
Holes appearing in siding in Middle Tennessee are usually woodpecker work, and woodpeckers are generally after something. Repairing the holes without dealing with the reason produces the same holes again.
Why they are drilling
Foraging is the common reason. Carpenter bees, wasps and beetle larvae in wood siding and trim attract woodpeckers, and the bird is doing pest control on your wall.
The other reasons are nesting, which produces one large round cavity, and drumming for territory, which is loud but usually superficial.
Carpenter bees specifically
They bore clean, almost perfectly round holes about half an inch across, usually in unpainted or bare wood on fascia, trim and deck rails. Nashville has plenty of them.
The bee damage is modest; the woodpecker damage that follows is not. Treating the bees is the effective intervention.
Deterrents that work and do not
Visual and physical deterrents work reasonably: reflective tape, netting standoff from the wall, and blocking access. Plastic owls stop working within days.
Painting bare wood removes the carpenter bee attraction, and filling existing bee holes prevents reuse — they return to old tunnels year after year.
- Identify whether it is foraging, nesting or drumming
- Treat and fill carpenter bee holes
- Paint or seal any bare wood trim
- Netting held off the wall where damage is concentrated
- Repair holes promptly so water does not follow
Repair before the water gets in
A hole in siding is a direct path into the wall cavity. It admits water and gives insects and rodents an entry, and in Middle Tennessee humidity a wet wall cavity does not dry quickly.
Fill and seal promptly, then address the cause. Note that woodpeckers are federally protected, so control is limited to deterrence and habitat modification rather than removal.